Apparatus for forming batch bodies



March 13, 1945. 5, w. BATCHELL 2,371,213

APPARATUS FOR FORMING BATCH BODIES Original Filed June 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l grwmkoc March 13, 1945. G. w. BATCHELL APPARATUS FOR FORMING BATCH BODIES Original Filed June 17, 19 59 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\v o v w M m o March 13, 1945. a w, BATCHELL APPARATUS FOR FORMING BATCH BODIES Original Filed June 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 13, 1945. .9, w, BATCHELL, y I 2,371,213

APPARATUS FOR FORMING BATCH BODIES Original Filed June 17, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 13, 1945. w BATCHELL 2,371,213

APPARATUS FOR:FORMING BATCH BODIES Original Filed June 17, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 $16676 Z09 Ewe/2M2 Patented Mar. 13, 1945 APPARATUS FOR FOWG BATCH BODIES George W. Batchell, Toledo, .Ohio

Original application June 17, 1939, Serial No.

279,715. Divided and this application June 23, 1942, Serial No. 448,104

v 4 Claims. My invention has for its object to eliminate the injurious dust attendant with the manipulation of glass batch materials used in making glass. Batch materials contain pulverant, or finelydivided, materials, largely siliceous in composition, and flux materials comprising compounds, usually containing sodium, calcium and other alkalies and alkaline earths. The glass furnaces are usually connected to large stacks to draw the products of' gas combustion from the furnace and through the checkers for preheating air used as both primary and secondary air in gas combustion. When charging the furnace withglass batches, the dust from the batch materials lodges on the interior surfaces of the furnace, such as the walls and the crown, and enters the exhaust ports and, by the heat of the furnace, fluxes the interior surface portions of ,the refractory blocks that form the walls of the furmice and reduces their interior surface-portions to molten glass. The finer, subdivided, or pulverant portions of the batch particles are, also, drawn, by the stack draft, into the checkers, with the result that the checkers become clogged with the refractory dust, which reduces their air heating efficiency as the air is drawn into the furnace upon reversal of the draft through the checkers. Also, the dust discharged into the atmosphere from the tops of the stacks is distributed, by the wind. over the region in which the furnace or furnaces are located, which is strenuously objected to by dwellers and others located in the region.

The batch materials are often fed, continuously, into the furnaces in order to maintain continuous operation of the furnace. The continuous feed of the batch materials produces a continuous dust that is injurious to the health of the operators and a constant lodgement of the fluxes of the batch upon the surfaces of the interior parts of the furnace, and the broadcasting of dust particles from the tops of the stacks continues without interruption.

By my invention, certain of the batch materials are melted preferably the more easily melted materials and other of the batch materials are encompassed or enclosed within the material, formed from the said certain of the batch materials. The batch bodies may be fed into a glass furnace while the siliceous material, which forms the shell of the batch, is still hot. or, if desired. the batch may be subdivided into small bodies and allowed to gradually cool to remove internal strains and prevent shattering or cracking of the acteristics.

the form of briquets that may be subsequently used to make up the batch compositions, as may be desired. The envelope of glassy composition and the subdivided solid portions of the batch material encompassed ,thereby, may be. if desired, varied to make the batch mixture. which, when melted, will form glass having the desired characteristic properties, or other batch materials may be added to the batch bodies that form my invention to vary, if desired, the glass char- Thus, the batch bodies or briquets may be subsequently delivered to a glass furnace and used with or without other batch materials to form glass having desired characteristics.

when the glass material of the'shell melts or is increasingly liquefied by the heat of the furnace, it entraps the finer particles and prevents the finer particles from being picked up by the draft of the stack. The clogging of the checkers, distribution over the interior surface parts of the furnace and the ports, and from the top of the stack, is eliminated.

The invention, also, has for its object to provide a means for directing subdivided solid batch materials into an encompassing molten glassy material. I

The invention, also, has for its object to provide a means for controlling the relative quantity of the molten siliceous material and the materials enclosed thereby to produce a properly proportioned composition of a glass batch body.

The invention, also, has for its object to provide ameans for forming a glass batch body containing a uniformly desired proportionate quantity of glass batch materials.

The invention, also, has for its object to provide a means for controlling the viscosity of a molten siliceous material for enclosing subdivided solid batch materials to control the volumetric capacity of the molten shell.

The invention, also, has for its object to provide a means for controlling the rate of movement of molten, encompassing, siliceous material and the enclosed solid batch materials to produce a desired rate of formation of a batch body.

This application is a division of my pending application Serial Number 279,715 flied June 17, 1939, for Method of forming batch bodies, that was issued as Patent No. 2,294,373 on September 1, 1942.

The invention, also, has for its object to produce other features and advantages, which will appear from the following description and from glassy'shell and, thus, provide batch materials in I! examination of the drawings forming a part ticular structure of the apparatus selected as an example of embodiments of my invention, is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 illustrates a longitudinal section ofga batch-body-forming furnace disposed in position to deliver the batch bodies to a glass-melting furnace. Fig. 2 illustrates a view of a section of a forebay from which molten batch materials are discharged as the batch body is formed. Fig. 3 illustrates a view of a horizontal section of a feeder spout shown in Figs. 2 and 4 for feeding solid, subdivided, batch materials into the molten batch materials. Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the batch-body-producing mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates a top view of anindenting and drawing mechanism for drawing batch bodies from the furnace as they are formed and shown in section in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 illustrates a further modification of the batch-body-forming mechanisms illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. 7 illustrates a top view of an indenting and drawing mechanism for forming the batch materials into briquets as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a side view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. '7. Fig. 9 illustrates a crosssectional view of a detail of the severing mechanism. i

As shown in Fig. 1, a comparatively small furnace I is provided with a forebay I I. The furnace l0 may be provided with suitable electric heaters or burners for melting the siliceous materials that form the shells of the bodies, and the forebay Il may be provided with suitable gas heaters, as indicated by the inlets I2. Also, the forebay may be provided with a suitable gate I4 for closing the chamber of the furnace and for separating the furnace from the forebay, and also, for producing the desired regulative differa large part of the silica of glass batches, may

be melted in the furnace and the pulver'ant and solid, subdivided, batch materials may be submerged into the molten mass or entrapped or enclosed by portions of the molten glassy material within the furnace or as the molten glassy material is drawn from the furnace. If desired, glass batch bodies may be'directed from the batch-body-forming furnace to the melter, such as a glass-forming furnace or glass-melting pot.

The molten glassy material, or materials that are used to form the enclosing shell of the batch body, may be directed'through the side of the furnace opposite to that from which the forebay extends. Certain of the batc'h materials, such as subdivided or broken cullet, or silica and soda, is deposited in a hopper l having a funnel l1.

5 from the hopper I 5 into the furnace.

5 forebay II by a suitable frame.

The material descends through a spout I 8 into the trough of a vibrator feeder 20. The vibrator feeder is of the type well-known in the art and is operative to, regulatively, feed the material The vibrator feeder 20 directs the material at a controlled rate from the hopper into the spout 2|, which extends diagonally through an end wall of the furnace I0.

10 In the form of construction shown, the molten glassy material is caused to flow from the forebay of the furnace and, as it flows therefrom, the solid, batch materials are introduced into glassy material. Preferably, the solid, batch materials are directed between separated flowing portions of the molten glassy material in order to incorporate the solid, batch materials within the exterior surface of the molten glassy material, whereby, upon increased liquefaction of the molten glassy material by heat, such as in a glass batch melter, the pulverant or finely-subdivided portions of the solid, batch materials will be caught, entrapped, or otherwise engaged by the molten glassy batch material that forms the shell 5 or shells, and escape of the subdivided portions the solid, batch materials, or the enclosure of the solid, batch materials within a shell or casing that may be formedfrom one or more streams flowing from the separator.

In the form of construction shown in the draw- 49 ings the mandrel or separator 24 is adjustably supported onthe top wall of the forebay II, as by cables 21 and beams 28, that are connected to the separator 24 with respectto an outlet formed in the bottom of the forebay to control a the flow of molten glassy material from the furnace. The separator 24 is formed substantially cylindrical, its lower end terminating into a conical or semi-ovate form, and the surface of the outlet is conical and the lower end is located in 80 substantial alignment with the outlet. The lower end of the separator, thus, forms a substantially annular outlet 29 for regulating the quantity rate of flow of the molten batch material from the furnace. The solid, pulverant, batch materials are. regulatively, fed to the interior of theseparator 24 and directed from the separator into molten glassy material as it flows through the annular outlet and, thus, a constant desired, proportionate quantity of the batch materials is produced in the batch body that is formed by the apparatus.

In the form of construction shown, the finelydivided, solid, batch materials are directed from a hopper 30 that may be supported above the The hopper 30 is provided with a funnel 3| having a spout 32 that extends into the trough 34 of the vibrator feeder 35. The vibrator feeder 35 is suspended to enable the production of vibratory movements of the trough 34 and, 'regulativeiy, discharge the sub- ;divided, solid portions of the solid, batch materials to the separator 24 (Fig. 2).

The separator 24 has a hollow core 31 in which is located a feed screw 38 that may be provided with a hollow shaft 40 that extends through a head 4| that forms a chamber for receiving the solid batch materials that are directed to the lower end of the separator. The lower end of the separator has an opening 43 that forms an outlet located substantially within the area of the annular outlet 29. The head 4! has a flexible wall 42, through which the trough 34 extends, t enable vibratory movements of the trough 34 and discharge of the solid batch materials into the head 4i. The shaft 40 of the feed screw 3| extends through the upper end of the head 4| and is located in a bracket 44 that is supported on a part of the supporting frame of the furnace. The feed screw is, thus, held suspended within the hollow core 31 and is rotated by a motor 45 that is connected by a suitable driving gear 41, also, supported in bearing parts mounted in a frame supported on the furnace frame. The feed screw 38, preferably, has a single helical flange that permits the ready downward movement of the finely-divided, solid, batch material to its lower end. If the solid materials are blocked by the molten material, the screw will, continuously, push the material out from the lower end of the separator and cause the molten glassy material to distend as it flows from the furnace.

The quantity rate of flow or movement of the finely-divided solid batch materials from the hopper 30 into the hollow core'fl may be regulated by the regulation of the vibrator feeder 35, in the manner well-known in the art, to produce the control of the quantity rate at which the solid batch materials are discharged into the core. Also, the rate of rotation of the screw 3! may be regulated by electrically regulating the speed of the motor 45 which is mechanically connected to the pipe 40 that forms the driving shaft of the conveyor or feeder 38 which will coact to produce a desired pressure within the core to-force the batch materials, particularly, from the lower end of the core into the molten glassy material as it flows from the furnace In and to maintain a spacial capacity of the glass shell as it is discharged from the furnace, that is, to maintain the molten glassy material distended and in its substantially tubular form as it flows from the furnace.

If desired, the hollow shaft 40, which is open at its upper and lower ends, may be connected to a source of supply of air under pressure through a pipe 48 by permits rotation of the shaft 40 relative t the pipe 48 and maintains connection with a source of supply of fluid under pressure, as may be controlled by a suitable valve. The trough 34 may be closed with a flexible wall 46 to prevent escape of air and yet enable the vibratory movement of the trough to regulate the rate of feed of the solid batch materials. The air discharges under pressure from the lower end of the shaft creates an air pressure within the flowing glassy material and will, also, cooperate with the screw to produce a distention of the molten glassy material or may be used to distend the molten glassy material to permit free downward flow or fall of the solid batch materials into molten glass located at the lower end of the separator 24, and by theair pressure.

To prevent the high temperature in the forebay from penetrating to a point to cause melting of the finely-divided material, particularly the flux portions, which melt at a relatively low temperature, the core may be cooled by the flow of fluid.

such as air, lengthwise the wall ofthe core 31. Thus, the core may be formed to have a pair of a space formed within the means. of a swiveled joint 50, which chambers having semi-cylindrical walls iii and which are partitioned by means of the radially extending walls'SZ, but which communicate with each other at the lower end of the core 31 and below the lower ends of the partitioning walls 52. Air may be admitted through the pipe 54 and caused to flow through one of the chambers of the core to the lower end of the (core and retumto the other chamber and be removed, if desired, through the pipe 56.

Wherethe batch body is fed directly into a glass furnace, such as the furnace 55, the batch body may be surrounded by a shell 51 for preventing chilling by atmospheric air. The batch body moves through the shell 51 and through an opening 58 formed in a top wall of an end part of the furnace 55, particularly, at the end of the melting zone remote from which the glass is drawn to produce glass articles. The glass body will be deposited on the surface of the previously melted glass batch materials and the increased liquidity of the molten batch produced by the increased heat, causesmaterials, distribution of the batch materials that form the shell, over the solid, subdivided, batch materials and prevents the draft of the furnace from drawing them from the surface furnace, and, as the solid, subdivided, batch materials become increasingly heated, they will soon melt and coalesce with the other batch materials and with the molten glass within the furnace 55. The heat of the molten glassy material that forms the casing of the batch body is, thus, conserved as the body enters the glass of the furnace.

If-desired, and in order to maintain the temperature of the casing at a relatively high point and to counteract, to some extent, the chilling produced by the solid batch materials as they are introduced into the casing, and, also, by the surrounding atmospheric air, suitable burners 60 may be provided for directing a flame in the region in which the solid materials are introduced into the molten glass materials as the glass batch flows from the furnace Hi.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 4, provision is made for drawing the batch body from the separator 24 and shaping the tubular glass to cause it to retain, in a large degree, the relative proportion of the ingredients of the subdivided materials within defined parts of the tubular body thatmay otherwise result in sifting the more pulverent of the materials through the coarser materials. The opposite sides of the batch body are engaged by the blades 6| of the wheels 62 located on opposite sides of the batch body. The blades BI 64 that rotatably support theextend radially from the axes of the shafts wheels on a suitable frame 55 that may be mounted on or suspended from a part of the frame of the furnace ill. The outer edges of the blades 6| are, preferably, semi-ovate in transverse cross-section, substantiallyas shown in Fig. 4, and are concavedly curved at their end edges, substantially as shown in Fig. 5. The wheels 62 are rotated by a suitable motor 61 that may be connected to one of the shafts 64, the shafts being connected by suitable gear wheels 58 to drive the wheels 62 at the same rate and maintain intermittent registration of the central planes of the blades as they are rotated. The wheels 62 are separated from each other to cause outer edges of the blades to intermittently, simultaneously engage the casing of the batch body on opposite sides thereof and, when, thus, engaged, the wheels.

in their rotation, operate to indent the batch body the forebays, from of the glass into the and press the inner surface of the wall of the casing inwardly. The wheels are caused to rotate to maintain a desired rate of draw of the batch body from the forebay I I, and, thus, maintain the solid batch materials in a definite relation with respect to the wall that forms the casing of the batch body and, also, prevent undue attenuation of the batch body by their weight or by reason of excess heat or distortion by reason of irregularly applied heat as well as to maintain uniformity of proportion of the batch mixture in the diil'erent parts of the tubular glass body. The blades of the wheels operate to not only draw the casing of the molten glassy material and the solid batch materials from the separator but, also, operate to sustain the weight of the batch body to produce a regulative rate of movement and, thus, a substantially uniform distribution of the solid batch materials within the glass casing.

The outlet 29 from the forebay of the furnace I may be surrounded by a shell that may be suspended from the lower side of the forebay or may be supported on a suitable frame located intermediate the furnaces I0 and 55. Also, the interior of the shell 10 may be heated by the burners 1 I. The batch body may be directed through the opening 58 into the melting zone of the furnace 55. I

In the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 6, the separator is constructed to provide a relatively large interior chamber that affords a large heatinsulating space intermediate the descending solid, subdivided, batch materials and the wall of the separator to prevent melting, particularly, of the comminuted fiuxing materials of the batch. The separator 12 is supported by cables 14 located on rollers 15 and secured to a suitable means for the purpose of adjusting the separator 12 with reference to the outlet provided in the forebay to vary the area of the outlet in the forebay. The

rollers 15 are supported on a suitable frame 18 that may be supported on the supporting frame of the furnace I0. Preferably, the separator 12 is formed to have a conical lower end and the outlet of the forebay has, preferably, a conical surface and the lower end of the separator extends into the opening in the forebay to form an annular outlet 19 for the flow of the glass from the forebay. Variation of the elevation of the separator 12 will, thus, vary the size of the outlet 19 and the quantity rate of flow of the molten glassy material.

A pipe 80 is suspended by means of a cable 8| extending over rollers 82, pivotally supported on a part of the frame that is mounted on the supporting frame for elevating the pipe 80 and adjustably locating the lower end of the pipe 80 with reference to the lower end of the chamber formed within the separator 12. The upper end of the pipe 80 is provided with a head 84, into which the trough 85 of the vibrator feeder 81 extends, for controlling the quantity rate of discharge from the hopper 30 through the spout 32 into the pipe 00 and to produce, with the adjustability of the separator 12, a desired ratio as between the discharge of the molten glassy material from the forebay and the batch materials that are discharged through the pipe 80. The quantity of discharge of the solid batch materials is, preferably, limited to the extent of producing a free fall of the solid batch materials from the head 84 into the tubular formation that is produced in the molten glass. The solid subdivided batch materials are kept moving to and from the trough 85 by the vibrator feeder 81 which is electrically -the pipe 90 may actuated and controlled, usually by a solenoid that reciprocates a core that continuously jars or knocks the wall of the suspended trough 85.

If desired, the upper end of the separator 12 is closed by a cover plate 88 and the trough is, also, closed by a flexible cover 88 and the source of supply of air under pressure is connected to one end of a pipe 90 to create a pressure greater than the atmosphere within the separator 12 to produce a pressure on the interior surface of the molten batch materials below the lower end of the separator 12 and, thus, maintain a distension of the molten glassy material beneath and, particularly, at the lower end of the separator 12. The molten glass shell is thus adapted to receive the solid materials that are directed through the pipe 80 and through the opening formed in the lower end of the separator 12. If desired, the lower end of terminate in a nozzle turned laterally to cause circulation of the air through the chamber within the separator 12 which may escape from the chamber through restricted openings disposed in the cover plate 88 about the pipe 80 or through escape valves, such as the valve SI, but to a limited extent, proportionate to the rate of supply of air through the pipe 00, in order to maintain a desired pressure to sustain the molten glassy material as against its surface tension.

To control the viscosity of the molten glassy material as it reaches the outlet 19, a shell 82 may be mounted on the lower side of the forebay of the furnace I0 in position to surround the stream of glass discharged from the outlet 19 and burners 94 may be located in position to heat the molten glassy material.

As the batch body is formed, it may be separated into a plurality of chambers by forcing opposite sides of the molten glassy material at spaced points into contact with each other to produce a plurality of scaled chambers filled with the solid materials. A pair of wheels 95, having blades 91 formed by concaved lateral surfaces 98, are supported on shafts I00 that are mounted in suitable bearings secured to brackets located on the frame IOI that forms a part of the supporting frame of the furnace I0. The shafts I00 are connected together by gear wheels I02 and may be driven by a suitable motor I04, operating through suitable reducing gears, to cause rotation of the wheels at a desired rate with respect to the normal movement of the glass from the outlet 18. The blades 91 operate intermittently to engage, slmultaneously, opposite sides of the molten glassy material and depress the batch body to cause the opposite sides to contact and to divide the batch body into separate chambers that contain the solid batch materials and, also, to regulatively draw the batch body from the opening 19.

If desired, the batch body may be severed along the sealed areas of the chambers as produced by the wheels 95 to divide the batch body into parts and produce subdivisions in the form of briquets. The briquets may be immediately discharged into a glass melter of any form.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 6, a shearing mechanism I05 is mounted on a suitable bracket I01 that may be secured to the frame IM and operated by the motor I04. One of the shafts I00 may be connected by a suitable drive gear I08 to a pair of gear wheels IIO having camshaped channels III. A pair of shears H2, pivotally supported on the plate I01 by means of the IIO. A pair of rollers channels III by means or by using therewith additional batch materialsv .to vary the characteristics of the glass formed by the batches.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for forming glass batches for glass furnaces; a furnace for melting certain of the glass batch materials to form a glassy material; the furnace having an outlet and a hollow mandrel for flowing the molten glassy material from the furnace in tubular form; and a screw propeller located in the mandrel for propelling the other of the batch materials in solid unmelted form through the mandrel and filling the tubular form.

2. In an apparatus for forming a glass batch furnace for melting certain of the batch materials into molten glass and having an outlet for flowing the molten glass downwardly from the furnace; a. hollow mandrel extending to near the outlet for flowing the molten glass from the furnace in tubular form; a container for containing other of the batch material in solid unmelted form connected to the interior of the mandrel and located above the mandrel for feeding the said other batch material to the mandrel; a rotative conveyor located in the interior of the mandrel for retardedly moving the said solid batch material through the interior of the mandrel and into the interior of the tubular molten glass form to fill the said tubular form as it is delivered from the furnace and the mandrel.

01 selected materials for producing glassware; a I

3. In an apparatus for forming a glass batch of selected materials for producing glassware; a furnace for melting certain of the batch material into molten glass and having an outlet for do ing molten glass downwardly from the furnace; a hollow mandrel having an end part extending to near the outlet for flowing the molten glass from the furnace in tubular form; a container for containing other of the batch material in solid unmelted form and located above the mandrel and communicating with the interior of the mandrel for discharging the said other batch material through the mandrel, through the said end part and into the upper end of the said tubular form of molten glass; and the mandrel having a passageway for flowing air into the said end part as the said other batch material is discharged from the mandrel into the said tubular form.

4. In an apparatus for forming a glass batch of selected materials for producing glassware; a furnace for meltin certain of' the batch material into molten glass and having an outlet for flowing molten glass downwardly from the furnace; a hollow mandrel having an end part extending into the molten glass to near the outlet for flowing the molten glass from the furnace in tubular form; a container for containing other of the batch material in solid unmelted'form and having a part communicating with the interior of the said end part of the mandrel for discharging the said other batch material through the mandrel to the said end part and into the upper end of the said tubular form; the mandrel having a passageway located in the interior of the mandrel for flowing air into the said end part as the said other batch material is discharged from the mandrel into the said tubular form; and rotative members for engaging the molten glassy material for indenting the tubular form and regulatively draw the said tubular form containing the said other batch materials.

GEORGE W. BATCHELL. 

